The US-British Attack Is Imminent

The U.S. deployed 1,000 troops of the Mountain Division in Uzbekistan on Saturday to attack Afghanistan, and the Taliban government increased the guards of Uzbekistan frontier to 8,000 in opposition. The tension is highly building up. The Pakistan government urgently evacuated yesterday the Afghanistan refugees near Quetta airbase, which will be used for a strongpoint for the U.S. attack, to another safe places. The signs of the imminent U.S. attack appear in several places.

President George W. Bush, in his Saturday weekly radio address, said, ``The Taliban has given the opportunity to surrender Osama bin Laden and to close down the terrorists` camps and operations. Full warning has been given, and time is running out.``

President Bush received briefing from the Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who returned on Saturday early morning from the military consultations with Middle Eastern countries. And he presided video national security conference at Camp David to examine attacking strategy.

Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain said on Saturday that, while the time for the military action will be decided through discussion with allied nations, ``military plans are robust. That is clear.``

The Sunday Times, by quoting the speaking of the Rt. Hon. Geoff Hoon MP, the Secretary of State for Defence, reported the possibility for the stationing of large peace-keeping troops for the stabilization of Afghanistan after the breakdown of the Taliban government.

The U.S. rejected the Taliban`s proposal that it would release eight hostages if the U.S. stopped issuing threats of military action by saying that ``we will not pursue any negotiation.`` The Pakistan government, which has been urged the handover of Osama bin Laden, also declared to stop its arbitration activities. The government said, ``We are not going to send any more delegates to Kabul or Kandahar.``

The Taliban fired the anti-aircraft gun and surface-to-air missile in Kabul to two airplanes, which were suspected as american radiocontrolled spy planes, Oct. 6. It warned Uzbekistan to retaliate if Uzbekistan helps the U.S. attack on Afghanistan.

Saying that ``the U.S. is stimulating the anti-american feelings of the Islamic circle by supporting Israel and establishing the attacking military station against Afghanistan.``, the Taliban`s supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, pressed the U.S. to present the solution for the anti-american rages.

Japanese Sankei Shimbun reported yesterday, citing a U.S. military source, that the Department of Defense submitted a strategic plan to start its military attack on Afghanistan between Oct. 16-18.

The source said that just before living for the Middle East and the Central Asia, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld reported to the President Bush the strategy plan, which launches the three-step gradual attacks by selecting a day among 16th, 17th, and 18th.

Cho Hun-Joo hanscho@donga.com